Australian Passport to Visit Japan

New Australian Passport, how to get one from an Australian who did it. To fly outside of Australia and into Japan, you need a current Australian passport. This article is part of the Japan Travel Tips and Planning series.

This article gives detailed information on how to apply for a new Australian passport.

Photo of my used Australian Passport. Funny that the ePassport microchip looks like the flag of Japan.

Start the application for you passport at least 6 weeks before you plan on travelling to Japan. Also, it is strongly recommended by immigration that you have, at a minimum, 6 months validity on your passport. This means that your passport should not expire within 6 months of you entering Japan.

Requirement for application:

To apply for a passport you must be able to prove your Australian identity. When submitting your completed passport application form you must have an original copy of your Australian birth certificate, Australian citizenship certificate or previous passport if you have one.

If you do not have an original copy of either of these documents, contact the state government where you live and apply for one.

Applying for a passport:

To begin an application, the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has a handy online Australian Passport Application Form, you should begin the process at this site. You will complete the application online, on completion you need to print the form and sign it, then lodge the form in person at an Australia Post outlet.

Note that you can also pickup an empty application form at Australia Post outlets.

Photograph requirement:

When lodging your application, you need to provide a recent photograph of yourself. This is best done by calling a local Australia Post outlet and making an appointment to have a passport photo taken, as they will make sure the photo meets the requirements for the passport application.

Once you have received your photos, you need to have the guarantor from your application form endorse it. This is done by them writing on the back of one of the photos, “This is a true photo of (your full name)” and then signing it.

Cost of Australia passport (the application fees):

For the cost of a new Australian passport, visit the Passport – Fees information page. I am a 25 year old adult and a standard 32 page passport cost me $208. Pages in a passport are used for visa’s – so unless you plan on heavy international travel (more than once per year) then a standard passport is all you need.

The process is a little different for European countries, so be sure to read up about ESTA VISUM USA.

Australia passport interview:

Make sure you have completed the application form correctly. This is vital and the easiest way to get your passport quickly and make sure you do not waste money! Check the instructions on the form, because the application fee is non-refundable, so if you have made a mistake you won’t get your money back and if you have provided false information then criminal action may be taken.

Take your completed form, Australian birth or citizenship certificate, endorsed photograph, enough money to cover the application and any other documents that the form specifies along to your interview. The interview does not take very long, duration of around 10 or 15 minutes. Once the application has been lodged you will be provided with a tracking number to check your application’s status.

Attend an interview at an Australia Post outlet and pay the cost of your application fee – day 2

Once approved, your Australian passport will be sent to your local post office for pickup – day 14 to 21.

How long does it take to get an Australian passport? Once your application is approved (which could take up to 10 working days) your new passport will be delivered with 5 working days after that. So realistically it should take about 2 – 3 weeks for your passport to arrive.

Delivery of and receiving your passport:

The passport will then be sent to your local post office via registered mail. You need to go in person to the office, show ID and sign for the passport.